‘Pakistan’s relevance in cricket is only its rivalry with India’: Australian top sports journalist mocks PCB for boycott. Watch

Pakistan’s decision to boycott its high-profile men’s T20 World Cup group match against India has triggered sharp criticism from Australia, with veteran sports journalists Peter Lalor and Gideon Haigh warning that the move could push Pakistan cricket into deeper isolation. The comments came soon after Pakistan officially announced it would not take the field against India on February 15 in Colombo, even though the government cleared the national team to participate in the rest of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starting February 7.

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Reacting to the boycott, Lalor and Haigh questioned Pakistan’s standing in world cricket without the India rivalry, calling the decision self-damaging.

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“The problem for Pakistan now is that it leaves them nowhere to go except into a sort of further degree of isolation. Pakistan's relevance to the rest of the world in cricket is because of the rivalry with India. If they don't play then who's in their corner? Bangladesh.”


The remarks underline growing concern that refusing to play India could weaken Pakistan’s influence in global cricket rather than strengthen its political messaging.

Pakistan boycotts India matches

Pakistan announced the boycott on Sunday through an official government statement. While approving the team’s participation in the tournament, the government said the team would skip the India fixture.

The move is being seen as a political protest linked to Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament after the world body declined a request to shift matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said it would reassess its participation in the tournament, stating that the decision involving Bangladesh was taken in solidarity with the neighbouring country.

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After days of uncertainty, the government’s announcement clarified Pakistan’s position and ruled out a complete withdrawal from the tournament.

"The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,"

The decision comes amid heightened political tensions in the region and places the PCB directly at odds with the ICC’s expectation of full participation by qualified teams.

Why the India-Pakistan match matters

The India-Pakistan clash is the biggest fixture of any ICC tournament. It delivers peak global viewership, massive sponsorship interest and the highest broadcast revenues in world cricket.

By skipping the match, Pakistan risks disrupting the ICC’s scheduling and commercial plans, much of which are built around the marquee encounter. While India would receive full points through a walkover, the ICC still has the authority to impose financial penalties on the PCB for failing to fulfil its fixture obligations.

ICC T20 World Cup schedule

Despite the controversy, Pakistan’s World Cup campaign will begin as planned. The team is scheduled to open against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by matches against the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.

All of Pakistan’s group matches will be played at the SSC ground in Colombo.

The criticism from Lalor and Haigh reflects a wider concern in cricketing circles: that refusing to play India could reduce Pakistan’s relevance on the global stage rather than amplify its voice.

As the tournament approaches, the boycott has shifted focus away from cricketing contests to questions of influence, isolation and the long-term cost of mixing politics with the world’s biggest cricket rivalry.